Am I the last one?

[Lee Jay]

My photography journey started with P&S film cameras but I bought my first SLR in 1979 (Canon AE-1). I used EVFs starting in 1982 on camcorders and my first few digital cameras (Kodak, Nikon) had EVFs in the late 90s/early 2000s. I bought my first dSLR in 2004 (Canon 10D).

I just can't get along with shooting with an EVF. I mean, I can get some shots, sometimes, but the reliability of getting what I want is like 100x lower than with an SLR, and 100% of the enjoyment of shooting is gone when using an EVF.

People have been singing the praises of EVFs to me since around the Sony A33 or so (about 13 years ago). I've tried a lot of them, the most recent a Canon R6. From the point of view of being able to see the subject, capture what I want and enjoy the process, they really haven't improved much in the last 20 years. They're a little higher res (still lousy at about 1-2MP) and bigger but that doesn't help much with the actual problems (seeing the subject, capturing what I want and enjoying it), at least from my point of view.

I'm in my early 50s. I've had my 7D Mark II for about 7 years. Maybe it'll be my last camera? Am I really the last one who finds EVFs almost entirely unusable for successful and enjoyable photography? Are there settings I can change from the defaults to make them usable and enjoyable?

 

[grsnovi]

Did you ever shoot film through a SLR?
I think those of us who did have less of a problem with the EVF.
I find that holding a camera away from my face to use the rear screen is counter-productive from a stability standpoint.
My OM-1 has a 5.7MP EVF - while not "optical" I think more resolution would also help your issue with cameras with EVF.

 

[Lee Jay]

Did you ever shoot film through a SLR?

As I said, I bought an AE-1 in 1979. I shot film with an SLR for 25 years (1979 to 2004).

I think those of us who did have less of a problem with the EVF.
I find that holding a camera away from my face to use the rear screen is counter-productive from a stability standpoint.

I never do that unless the camera is on my telescope.

My OM-1 has a 5.7MP EVF - while not "optical" I think more resolution would also help your issue with cameras with EVF.

No it doesn't It has 5.76M dots, which is 5.76M/3 = 1.92M pixels, which is 1600x1200.

 

[grsnovi]

My bad...
In any case, I would prefer to be looking through my Canon FTb's VF but the OM-1's EVF is good enough for me (even with my old eyes).

 

[JCDoss]

Pentax has publicly stated that they will remain dedicated to development of DSLRs and the optical viewfinder in the future. There are plenty in my circle who can't get along with EVFs, or who like me, simply prefer the shooting experience of a DSLR.

 

[Josep]

Fortunately there is so much to choose from that I doubt this is a problem, unless we become infatuated with what we supposedly don't like.

 

[Lee Jay]

Fortunately there is so much to choose from that I doubt this is a problem, unless we become infatuated with what we supposedly don't like.

There's no choice for me. My 2016 camera is the last one in the line, ever. I guess Pentax is an option but I have like 9 lenses and about a dozen Canon EOS-compatible accessories, so switching systems, especially to one that lacks many of my favorite choices, doesn't seem to be an option.

 

[ChrisMT]

I don’t think you are the only one. But evf:s are becoming better and better. I still prefer old school vf:s, began with Olympus OM1 around 1977, but tries to avoid becoming a grumpy old man… (not saying you are!).

 

[Smaug]

Good to see you here, Lee Jay!

No, I don't find them unusable. I find the less pleasant to use than an OVF, but not at all unusable.

My two main cameras now have EVFs: Olympus E-M10.3; it's EVF is good, but when I pull away, I'm a bit dizzy. The other is my Nikon Z5, which has the best-in-class EVF. It's not QUITE as nice as a good OVF, but it's close.

You are one of those people who should buy a backup SLR new, for when they're no longer available. If you're in your 50s, you have a few decades left probably, and you shouldn't depend on that one camera carrying you through.

 

[Blufftonian]

I started photography in my early teens with cheap point and shoot cameras - all I could afford - but my first SLR came in 1976 when I moved for work from England to the US and bought myself the relatively new Olympus OM-1 along with a few lenses. An OM-2 followed but as much as I liked (and still have) those cameras, by the time the 1990s rolled around Olympus had pretty much given up on the photography business and I moved over to Nikon and have used Nikon SLR (and underwater Nikonos), and DSLR cameras since. With film I did most of my own developing and printing.

Of course, all my DSLRs have rear screens and Live View, but I hardly ever use them, so for me, I wouldn’t particularly care for a camera with an EVF. I suppose if I moved to Mirrorless I’d get used to it but I’m quite happy with my OVFs. I also like that OVFs don’t drain batteries like EVFs do.